Puppet Strings
by Raining Moon Song
Summary: Sephiroth isn't ready to let go of Cloud's strings yet. Seph/Cloud, perhaps other pairings. Rating may go up.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

**A/N: My idea for this came from Sephiroth and all the stuff he says that makes him sound homosexual, and…and Cloud's obsession with finding him and…yeah. Enjoy.**

**Or, at least, try to enjoy. I'm trying!! TT^TT**

**Let's see…**

**Warnings: Shounen ai**

He had seen Cloud once or twice before the Nibelheim Fire, and he knew that Zack had been fond of him. At the reactor, when he saw the determined light in those eyes, and the hatred swirling within the blue depths, he had felt a spark of hatred flare for the boy in return.

Or, at least, that's what he told himself as he pierced the boy's stomach with the blade and lifted him in the air. It's what _Mother_ had told him.

In the Northern Crater, Cloud had come to him like the puppet he was, bringing with him the Black Materia, as Mother wanted. The blonde's strings had been pulled easily, even after the death of the Ancient at Mother's hands. She had taken on his form to dispose of the traitorous Cetra.

Cloud's hatred for him grew, as Sephiroth wanted.

_Yes, hate me. Try to fight it, but you know you are always a puppet…Mother's puppet, and my own. You'll come when I call, and though you excuse it as wanting revenge…deep down, you know the truth…you can't survive without me…Cloud._

The battle in the lifestream had even caught Sephiroth off guard, as he had not expected Cloud to be so strong. He hadn't accepted defeat, and refused to become a part of the Planet Cloud had so bravely fought for.

Two years was how long it took for Sephiroth to put his Remnants in place, and soon after, he was fighting a battle with Cloud once more.

"Good to see you…_Cloud_," he had said, watching the look of horror in those beautiful blue eyes just before he sent the blonde flying upward. He flew past him, touching down gracefully on top of a building.

At Cloud's demand for the Nightmare to reveal his desires, Sephiroth had unknowingly lied: "What I want, _Cloud,_ is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as my vessel. Just like my mother did, long ago. And someday we will find a new planet, and on its soil we will create a shining future." That…was what Jenova wanted. What Sephiroth truly wanted was to take Cloud into his arms, and make him_ his_, and _his alone_, and keep Cloud at his side for all eternity.

"What about this planet?" Cloud shouted, glaring up into serpentine green eyes.

"Well…that's up to you, Cloud."

And so they fought. Sephiroth went easy on the blonde, though he could tell Cloud was giving it his all. He mocked him, tormented him, and it served well to feed the small swordsman's hatred. A little too well, it seemed.

"On your knees. I want you to beg for forgiveness."

Not too long after, and he had knocked Cloud to the ground, and stabbed him through his shoulder, Masamune's blade piercing even the wall the blonde had fallen against. The soft gasp of pain that greeted Sephiroth's ears as he did so caused something inside of him—something Mother had no influence over—to speak, though Sephiroth didn't understand completely at the time.

"Tell me what you cherish most…give me the pleasure of taking it away?"

He wanted Cloud all to himself…Sephiroth was all alone, and he wanted the blonde to suffer the same fate. He wanted to be the only thing left for Cloud, and the only one Cloud could turn to.

And over a year later, upon his awakening once more, did he realize that. He would act on the urge to take Cloud for himself, and Cloud would come to him, the willing puppet he always was.

…**Huh. Well, Tobi-Uchiha, there ya go. If I get enough encouragement, I'll write more.**


	2. Awakening

**A/N: I'm wondering if this is going to be fluffy, or dark, or am I going to somehow manage keeping it dark fluff? Fluff of darkness! Wow…I have issues. **

**But seriously, one-sided SephCloud, or…I have no idea. You guys get me though, right? What are your opinions?**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**Oh, warning, this is Cloti until…well, until Seph gets his Cloudie. So…yeah…hints of Cloti. Ew.**

**---**

Nibelheim. That's where all hell broke loose, eight and a half years earlier. Sephiroth thought it was strange in a funny way: that he came out in the same mako pool that he had fallen into on that fateful night.

Coughing and sputtering as his body tried to expel the mako from his lungs, he reached for the conveniently placed, low-hanging ladder, almost pulling himself up immediately before realizing he probably didn't yet have the strength required to climb a ladder—he _had _just returned, after all. By sheer willpower alone, he had finally broken free from the lifestream.

_Not too much longer, Cloud, _he thought, ignoring the nearly painful strain in his muscles as he pulled himself up the ladder, _You've been such a good boy, waiting for me._

Gaia hadn't made Sephiroth's return come easily. This realization came to the former First's mind when he had reached the safety of the lowest platform, panting through his gritted teeth. Gaia had sapped his energy, hanging on to his spirit for as long as possible, refusing to let him reenter the mortal plane without a fight. But Sephiroth had been a general—an expert strategist, and some spirit of a planet couldn't stop him.

If it hadn't been for Mother's presence in his mind, Gaia surely would have let him go sooner. Now Mother only spat venom, no longer speaking the soft, lovely promises of a bright future to her once-favored son. She laughed now, mocked his best efforts, telling him that he was surely too weak to take back the strings of Gaia's Golden Weapon.

This was not true. While at the moment, Sephiroth could admit he was week—laying there, his soaked silver hair clinging to his equally mako-soaked, nude body—it would only be a matter of time until he was at his best…until then, he was as close to vulnerable as he had ever been.

With his current luck, Gaia would probably create new WEAPONs to destroy him.

_Genesis…he'll know I'm back before long. I have to go…_ Gaia was pulling _his_ strings now, wasn't she?

Looking up, Sephiroth realized he still had a few more ladders to climb. It was going to be a long day. He had faced worse challenges…much worse. And at the end of this obstacle-filled maze, was Cloud. That was his reward, his motivation.

Sephiroth ignored Mother's cries of rage, screaming at him that the young warrior was the enemy, and should be destroyed. He wanted to, at the least, get to the top platforms of the reactor, but he felt he could barely lift a muscle.

Weak.

He was weak. But that wasn't possible, was it? _No, of course not..._

Even though he had to literally drag himself to the next ladder, Sephiroth refused to accept weakness of any sort.

It took him from dawn till dusk to reach the top, and he finally closed his eyes, not satisfied with his meager progress, but tired, and he felt it would be a futile effort anyway to keep moving for now.

---

Cloud woke from his sleep with a start, sitting up with his heart hammering behind his ribcage.

"Mm…Cloud?" Tifa mumbled sleepily as the blonde fighter sat up. "What's wrong?"

Sighing heavily, Cloud said, "Nothing," and lay back down beside her. "Just a weird dream…go back to sleep, Tifa."

Doing exactly the opposite of what Cloud told her to do, Tifa turned around to face him, pressing a little closer to him. "What was the dream about?" she inquired softly, smiling until she saw that distant, brooding look in his blue eyes.

"…Can't remember, exactly," Cloud murmured, not quite meeting her gaze as the martial artist traced his cheekbone with her fingertips.

"Are you sure?"

"…Yeah…"

Not pressing the issue, Tifa put her arm around him and snuggled closer yet, until he returned the embrace.

---

The next morning, Cloud could tell something was wrong. Everything just sort of seemed…off. He'd felt this way before, and the feeling had always been followed by some sort of trouble.

He could already tell this was going to be a bad week for him.

---

Sephiroth, however, knew it was going to be a very _good_ week.

---

**Yeah…still not my best work.**

**I have a new favorite fic! Tobi-Uchiha's Invisible Molestation. XD Read it if you haven't, it's awesome. Angsty, made me cry, but it's epic.**


	3. Shared Dreaming

**A/N: Hello again, everyone! This is chapter 3 of Puppet Strings, which, to my own surprise, is going pretty well. Sorry the chapters are so short, though. To make up for the lack of interesting crap, I'll…well, it's obvious what I'm doing to make it up. Enjoy! Oh, and I got a cookie-scented air freshener for my room! Ah'm suh happeh!!**

---

_Soft, moist lips against his caused Sephiroth to open his eyes wide, jolting him immediately from his sleep. He almost turned his head away, but callused palms firmly cupped his cheeks, and the owner of those hands pulled away just enough for Sephiroth to get a good view at his…companion. Blonde hair, blue eyes…the face of an angel…_

"_Cloud," he gasped before the blonde captured his lips again in a kiss with almost bruising force, catching the silver-haired man by surprise. A tingling warmth spread through his entire being as he reached up, threading his fingers into Cloud's soft hair. Sephiroth ran his tongue across Cloud's lower lip, and the blonde immediately parted his lips, shuddering as the man beneath him slid his tongue into his mouth, brushing it against his own._

_Distantly, Sephiroth realized this could be nothing but a dream, but up front he couldn't bring himself to care. He removed a hand from Cloud's hair, moving it to his back to trace his spine. The younger man was tense, but Sephiroth was sensing anxiety, not the _good_ sort of tension _he_ was feeling. And the movements of Cloud's lips and tongue were slow, and hesitant, and he could feel the fear radiating off of the blonde._

_This wouldn't do._

_Sephiroth broke the kiss and rolled, earning a sharp gasp from Cloud as the younger male was pinned beneath him, the silver-haired warrior having caught his wrists during the little switch in positions. Once said switch was done, he resumed the heated kiss, feeling the other tense beneath him. A soft whimper escaped into Sephiroth's mouth, and he pulled back to look at Cloud's face._

_Cloud shut his eyes quickly, but Sephiroth didn't miss the flash of all-too-real fear in them. This was a dream…a fantasy…so why was Cloud scared? Sephiroth leaned down, nuzzling the blonde's neck before running his tongue across his throat._

_And then he stopped._

_Blood. He pulled back once again, confused and slightly alarmed. No…very alarmed._

_Sephiroth felt something warm and wet under his palms the moment he spotted the blood slowly spreading over Cloud's throat…there was something around his throat, a wire of some sort? Strings…? They were wrapped tightly around his neck and digging into skin, and seemed to lead into the darkness that surrounded them._

_Sephiroth lifted the other man's wrists into view…there were strings, and smears of blood. He lifted his gaze back to Cloud's face, and felt a weight drop into his stomach._

_Cloud's eyes had become green, glowing…his pupils were slitted, like a cat's…or like his own._

---

The dream shattered, and Sephiroth sat up abruptly, gasping, the heavy, almost foreign pain in his chest not for a few minutes, until he had relaxed and convinced himself that it was nothing more than a dream…a terribly vivid dream…he could still taste the blood on his tongue. But after noting the soreness on the left side of his tongue, he realized he had bitten it in his sleep. _That_ was a first.

A chill reminded Sephiroth that, now that he was awake and stronger, he needed to move. That dream prompted him to get to his feet, and as he stood, a black essence twisted around him, causing his normal ensemble of black leather to return to him, shielding him from the cold winds of Mt. Nibel as he exited the reactor.

While he made his way down into the town, these words repeated over and over inside of his head: _"I pulled his strings too tightly."_ That pain in his chest—guilt, was it?—was coming back.

---

For the second time that week, Cloud woke up at the end of a dream, but this time it stuck.

"Oh god," he hissed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and planting his feet on the ground. He hurried into the bathroom and turned on the lights, looking into the mirror. To his relief, he found that his eyes were their normal blue…

Sighing heavily, Cloud ran cold water in the sink, splashing his face with it. He needed to calm down…Then again, how could he calm down?

_There's no way,_ he thought, _that was JUST a dream._ He shuddered, tilting his head to the side to check his neck, no matter how ridiculous it may have been to do so. He looked at his wrists—no sign of blood or cuts, but he could feel tingling…everywhere Sephiroth had touched…he shuddered, shame and disgust hitting him head-on as he recalled that, in the dream (though it had quickly gone wrong) he had initiated the kissing…the touching. But then, it was like Cloud wasn't himself towards the end…it was like he had been pushed into the back of his own mind, like…

Like when Sephiroth was in control.

---

*almost not posting this*


	4. Thinking it All Over

**A/N: Glad you all liked the last chapter…truth be told, I was scared to post it.**

**Oh…and yeah. The rating'll go up eventually. O.O Wull, it's highly likely.**

**But holy cow…already this is twisting from what Sephiroth wanted to….something else. ;P You guys can probably guess. 3 Thank you for all the lovely reviews, guys!**

---

Sephiroth didn't want to hurt Cloud. He never had. It pained him now to reflect on what he had done to the poor boy, even as the monster inside of him reveled in the memories. What he had done to his friends was another matter, considering he felt nothing for them. If they got in the way when he reached Cloud, he'd kill them, plain and simple. Especially that Tifa girl…

_Not if _I_ can help it, you crazy bastard!_ Someone shouted, heard only by Sephiroth.

Sephiroth chuckled at Zack's voice, wondering how it was possible for such a tainted being as he to be able to hear the words of a spirit in the lifestream now that he was out of it, or perhaps it was just his imagination. He didn't deny that he was still unstable, even after cutting his own strings away _(even if he couldn't cut the connection to his former puppeteer)_.

The former general understood Zack's anger, though. Even in death, Angeal's Puppy was a fiercely loyal friend and protector, and would do _anything_ to keep Cloud out of Sephiroth's reach.

But no, Zack couldn't stop him now…he was too close to his goal. If he closed his eyes and reached out with his soul, Sephiroth could _feel_ his puppet, he just had to follow the strings, reminding himself, however, that he couldn't pull quite yet…the connection was weak now, and if he pulled too hard, it would snap…either that, or Cloud would.

Jenova cackled at that latter thought, telling him that it was going to happen…either way, she told him, he was going to lose his precious puppet. Her "son" ignored her _(he pretended to, at least, but it was hard to NOT hear the voice in your head)._

"He's mine," he whispered as his footsteps took him out of Nibelheim, "Mine…I won't—I can't lose him…never…" He was still too weak to manifest his wing, but too restless to delay the journey any longer. This time—this time, Sephiroth wouldn't go so easy on Cloud…he wanted the blonde to submit, but he wouldn't injure him too badly…just tire him out. He knew he would have to beat the stubborn man into submission, as much as he tried to tell himself he wouldn't have to.

This would require patience and caution.

He wasn't a patient man, but caution WOULD be taken. He hoped that would be enough.

---

Was Cloud gay? Or at least, bi? He chuckled bitterly, running his fingers through his spiky blonde hair. Before, of course, he had thought he was straight…he'd never thought of…being with another guy, had he?

He honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was, though, after that dream from the last night. Despite the fact that most of it made him feel faintly sick, certain details made his pulse race and his body to tingle. The too-real feeling of lips on his…Sephiroth's lips, soft—though the kiss itself had been a contrast; intense and forceful. The silken skin beneath his fingers as he held his enemy's face close… There was something incredibly wrong, but _oh_ so incredibly _right_ about those few moments that he enjoyed.

He grimaced when it occurred to him that he was _fantasizing_ about Sephiroth, and it hit him even harder when that made him realize that he was fantasizing with someone other than Tifa.

_Well,_ he thought, _I never really fantasized about her after meteor. _Poor Tifa…Cloud never had the nerve to tell her that he didn't like her like _that _anymore…that it has just been a childhood crush…but…he knew she felt for him. Guilt struck him, and he wondered if she knew. _Did _she know? That he didn't love her back? He cared, a lot, but…

He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head when his phone rang, muttering about stupid deliveries. He had a headache…Tifa had told him to get some rest—as if he was one of the kids they were taking care of—and demanded that he return to bed.

Cloud felt goosebumps prickling on his skin as his betraying mind replayed Sephiroth pinning him down, and the same mix of desire and fear as in the dream flooded his senses, and he shuddered violently.

He shook his head, remembering Aerith and Zack, taking comfort in the fact that, as long as he remembered what he did to them (even as some stupid part reminded him that Sephiroth wasn't really the one to kill Aerith) he would be able to keep those thoughts away.

Sephiroth had taken his hometown from him…had hurt Tifa…had hurt Zack…had hurt him, his goddamn alien bitch _mother_ had killed Aerith…

"I hate him," he whispered. As the words left his mouth, he felt like part of him was ripping in two—he'd said it before, he'd thought it even more, so why did it hurt? No…that's not what hurt! It had to be that he was sad…he missed Zack and Aerith…right?

---

"Zack, you need to calm down," Aerith stated firmly, watching the dead ex-SOLDIER pace back and forth in the large field of flowers that the lifestream had made for them, for when they weren't simply drifting through it.

"Can't," Zack replied, stopping and beginning to do squats, speaking between them. "…calm…down…"

The pretty young Cetra sighed, knowing she didn't have much to gripe about—she was worried, too. Neither of them could be sure that Sephiroth truly meant well, and they both _knew _Cloud didn't want Sephiroth. The former general may be semi-sane again, but if Jenova had any control over him left, Cloud wouldn't make it. Jenova wouldn't let Sephiroth just toy with him anymore…she'd make the silver-haired man eliminate him completely this time…he was becoming more and more of a threat. Gaia had spent so much time on Cloud, playing favorites, letting him escape death's grasp by allowing Zack and Aerith to send him back to the mortal plane just over a year ago…Gaia relied on Cloud to eliminate threats. While Her Crimson WEAPON slumbered, Cloud was her Golden WEAPON.

Zack didn't like that either, but he knew Cloud was better off in Gaia's hands than in Jenova or Sephiroth's. As for Genesis…if Cloud failed, he would be the one to eliminate Sephiroth. But he was sane too now. Would he even be able to finish Sephiroth off? He was his friend, once…

---

**Longest chapter yet, but not that interesting. DX**


	5. Genesis

**A/N: I'm addicted to this pairing. =D I'm also addicted to CloudxZack, SephxGen is on my "liked pairings" radar, I enjoy a good Zangeal fic if writted well (*coughlookatTobi-Uchiha'sstuffcough*), and if it's put all together, I can enjoy that too. ;) (*hacknoreallyTobi'sawesomehack*) Sorry, choking on coffee. . .**

**Um…warning, when the rating DOES happen to go up, go easy on me please…I'm fourteen…But I'll still do my best! **

---

It was getting harder and harder for Cloud to sleep in the night. He'd gone out and made his deliveries that day, and came home, not yet tired. But after the deliveries were done and over with, he went out with Tifa and the kids to the park, forgetting his worries for a little while; instead thinking; _This isn't such a bad week after all._ Watching Denzel and Marlene play and laugh with the other children made him smile, which—to Tifa's delight—was becoming a normal thing.

But while he lay in bed, Cloud felt a distant sense of…fear. Tifa's soft, warm body was pressed against his back, now felt foreign in the middle of the night amidst the darkness that, to Cloud, wasn't so dark anymore. His enhanced eyesight had already grown used to the lack of light, and he could pick out every detail he could during the day.

He was tired…exhausted, even. Why couldn't he sleep? Why was he so worried? What WAS he worrying about?!

The blonde fighter shut his eyes tightly, urging himself to sleep. As he tried to force his own body to relax, Cloud felt an itching to move…he was craving something; he was craving something powerful, he knew he had _felt_ the craving before, but how to satisfy it if he couldn't figure out what he wanted? He desperately needed sleep…he shuddered, goosebumps rising on his skin despite the warmth of the room, and the woman snuggling against him.

And then, it clicked—it was incredibly obvious; the feeling, the craving, the longing…

Sephiroth; it was Sephiroth that he wanted. His lips parted with shock as he realized this, before the knowledge settled, and he sighed heavily, shutting his eyes. He'd get over this. He would. Cloud could stop wanting _him._ Besides, Sephiroth was dead…

Placing his hand over the arm Tifa had draped around his waist, Cloud tried to hang on to the hatred spurred by Sephiroth's cruelty. That monster hurt Tifa…

_He's human too,_ he thought, despite his anger, _And…after what Hojo put him through…No, shut up, shut up! Stop thinking like that! It…it doesn't excuse his actions. I hate him. I hate him. He hurt Tifa, he burnt Nibelheim, he hurt Zack, he…hurt me, too…_

Cloud was sinking into a pit of self-hatred while trying to find a reason to hate Sephiroth that actually STOPPED him from thinking certain thoughts about the ex-general.

It wasn't working.

Tifa's arm tightened around him suddenly, like she was sensing his anxiety even in her sleep, and wanted it to go away. Cloud sighed again, wishing he could love her like she deserved.

He loved her; Cloud loved Tifa, but he wasn't _in _love with her.

Sephiroth was the man he hated. Cloud hated him with a _passion_ but at the same time, he longed to find him again. He wanted to touch, and _be _touched by, Sephiroth. He wanted to kill him, but he wanted to kiss him.

But…all in all…

He missed him. For some sickeningly strange, odd reason that the blonde would never understand, Cloud missed Sephiroth.

---

Tifa. Tifa was the key. Of this Sephiroth was certain…Cloud had come after him when he had hurt Tifa in Nibelheim…he would come for him now, wouldn't he? Yes…he didn't doubt it in the least. If he killed Tifa—

_If you hurt Tifa I SWEAR I will find my way out of here and—_

The silver-haired warrior shook his head, silencing Zack's voice as he continued his own thoughts.

If he were to kill Tifa, Cloud would come after him for sure. And then_…and then…_

"Sephiroth."

The ex-general halted, his senses screaming in alarm. He knew that voice, he realized; he knew that voice far too well. Turning slowly to face the man, he sighed heavily. He…he was strong enough now, wasn't he? To take on a strong enemy?

"Genesis Rhapsodos…It's been a long time." His serpentine green eyes were met by a defiant aqua glare.

Genesis, despite how he looked, wasn't so sure of himself. He had to fight. He had to. And yet, for once, he had no words. He had already drawn his sword, and was ready to attack at any given moment. But the emotions in Sephiroth's eyes were hard to catch on to right away. The former general; his former friend, had yet to summon Masamune and attack.

Sephiroth's head tilted. "Have you nothing to say?" Genesis—confident, arrogant, rude Genesis—had done nothing but stare at him for over a minute. "No? I have little time for you." Though the silver-haired warrior would be lying if he were to say that he wasn't somewhat relieved at the sight of Genesis' good health.

"What is it that you so desperately seek, Sephiroth?" Genesis finally asked, his tone not holding the malice and bitter hatred the other had expected. "What has called you back to the living?"

---

**o.o**

**Oh noes! Genny is in da fic! Ze drama! Ze suspense! Review please, dearies!**

**Planned on it being longer this time around, but I'm on the phone with two people whispering "post it" "post it" over and over, so…**

**Posted.**


	6. Failed Warning

**A/N: Thank you all for reviewing. I'm really enjoying writing this.**

**As for Genesis, wish me good luck—I don't have too much practice with him.**

**Content: Pathetic attempts at acting out Genesis; Angsting Puppy, Sleepy Chocobo, and then Angry, kinda snarl-ish Puppy. Poor Zack…he worries for his little buddy.**

**---**

"What is it that you so desperately seek, Sephiroth? What has called you back to the living?"

"I have…come to claim what is mine," the silver haired man said slowly.

"Which is?" Genesis pressed, walking nearer to the younger man. At about twelve feet, Sephiroth summoned Masamune and pointed at Genesis' chest.

"Come no closer," Sephiroth snapped, watching the other's eyes close abruptly. "I won't hesitate to kill you this time, Genesis…" _Do I really mean that?_

Slowly, those blue eyes opened again, locking on to his own emerald gaze. Sephiroth was startled by the pain he found there, in those azure depths. He frowned. "Do you really mean that?" the older of the two questioned, echoing the silver-haired man's thoughts.

In response, Sephiroth slowly lowered Masamune. "If you would leave me be, Genesis," Sephiroth sighed, "I would rather not harm you."

"If your intent is to harm someone, I can't let you leave," Genesis stated firmly. The other ex-SOLDIER scanned the redhead's face.

"I make no promises," Sephiroth confessed, "if anyone gets in my way." Genesis huffed in annoyance.

"…Sephiroth, _what _have you come to claim?" He demanded. Sephiroth's obsessions were often dangerous. And if this was a person…the thought made a spark of childish jealousy flare up within Genesis, but he denied it stubbornly and ignored it. If this was a person, which it most likely was, someone would get hurt. That was more important than past desires.

The possessive, wary look in his old friend's eyes confirmed his fears. The auburnette tensed up as Masamune was banished, disappearing from sight as Sephiroth approached him.

"Don't just stare at him, Genesis!!" Zack bellowed frantically from the lifestream, his words unheard by the auburnette. "You gotta take him down soon or it'll be too late!" It had been a few days now. Sephiroth was most likely almost completely back to his full strength. Genesis had _never _beaten Sephiroth. Meaning, if he didn't act soon, there would be nothing in between Cloud and Sephiroth…and, well…Genesis wasn't moving.

Aerith was off in her own space, angsting, and Zack dared to hope she was plotting something sneaky that would stop Sephiroth completely. The Remnants were, too, angsting, ashamed that they were part of Sephiroth and worried for their "big brother." Kadaj, who shared most of Sephiroth's emotions, wasn't able to tell what the man was thinking any longer, now that Sephiroth had gotten himself out of the lifestream. This left him unable to feel what Sephiroth was feeling, and Kadaj couldn't even tell what his intent was…besides getting Cloud. Would he hurt him?

Angeal was a rare sight, even to Zack, now. His mentor would withdraw back into the lifestream for long periods at a time, still somehow feeling guilty over things that had never been his fault in the first place, things that were far in the past. And, now, he had something else to angst over.

Zack was all alone; his only companion a feeling of vast helplessness as he came to the fact that there was really nothing he could do this time. Maybe he could warn Cloud, but would that be enough to keep him safe?

For the first time in a long while, Zack Fair wanted to cry. But he couldn't.

Instead, he settled on his next best option.

**Later that night…**

_Cloud._ A whisper.

The blonde stirred in his sleep.

_Cloud. Cloud!_ A poke to his forehead made him grumble sleepily and try pulling the blankets over his head. They were quickly yanked back down to his shoulders. _Hey, spiky, wake up! C'mon, man, this is important._

"Z…Zack?" Cloud mumbled, blinking his eyes open slowly. "Wh…what're you doing here?"

"Sephiroth's gonna hurt Tifa," Zack said, nodding to the girl at Cloud's back. Blue eyes widened in alarm, and Cloud sat up.

"What?!" the blonde whispered. "Sephiroth is dead!" _Oh, God, no…_He felt his heart sinking as he reflected back on the dream for the umpteenth time. He should have known…that Sephiroth had snaked his way back into his mind. Surprisingly, he hadn't had any more…ahem…dreams involving Sephiroth…

But why would Sephiroth…?

"No," Zack responded, his voice hushed as if he were worried Tifa would wake up. "He's not. He came back, he's after you—he's gonna use Tifa to get to you." Cloud shook his head, trying to shake the rest of the sleep-induced fog from his mind as he looked at his friend's spirit.

"Why is he…coming after me?" Cloud asked, looking so confused and little, a bit scared and angry, too. Zack sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed. He knew the blonde knew the answer, whether or not he truly accepted it.

But how to explain it?

"Cloud…uh, Sephiroth has…very…strange, very dangerous feelings towards you…"

"Does he still want to kill me?" Cloud asked, knowing by the look on Zack's face that the answer was "no."

"Actually, kid…I think it's worse…unless…maybe you feel the same." Zack ran his fingers through his ebony spikes, sighing. "Cloud, Sephiroth is coming after you to…well…to quote him, 'claim you.'"

Not that he could blame Sephiroth for having inappropriate thoughts about Cloud. With his golden hair, baby face, and those big, pretty blue eyes, Cloud looked like an angel stripped of his wings.

"Zack?" Cloud called softly, "Where'd you go?"

Zack was torn from his thoughts. "What? Oh, sorry, I kinda went off to la-la land…" Cloud was looking around, alarmed once more. Zack waved his hand in front of the blonde's eyes. "Cloud! Hello-o…"

_Not even you, Zack. Don't interfere._

Zack murmured a curse as he heard the familiar voice. How long had he been listening? "Why won't you let me at least warn him?!" He shouted into the darkness, no one hearing him but Sephiroth, who was miles away yet. Cloud got up, leaving the room and going right through Zack in the process of getting out of bed.

He'd been blocked.

_He's mine, Puppy._

"Don't call me that!!" Zack snarled. He could hear Sephiroth's low chuckle. "Besides, what will happen when you finally get what you want? Cloud will leave. You'll only hurt him, Sephiroth, don't you get that at all?! Look at him, he's finally happy…can't you respect that? This isn't right! Where's your honor?!"

_When have I ever had a chance to be happy, Zack? Free to make my own decisions?_

"That doesn't mean you get to hurt people in the process!" Zack protested, even though Sephiroth had a point. Sephiroth had been kept from having any sense or normalcy most of his life, and hadn't had any real chances to cut loose and enjoy himself, except during fights. "If you cared so much about making Cloud coming to you, you'd give him a chance to come on his own! Let him make his own decision!"

There was a soft sigh, then; _Just like something he would say._

Zack frowned. "Excuse me? Change the subject much?" Silence. "Don't you ignore me, you bastard! Leave Cloud out of this, do you hear me?!"

Sephiroth wasn't talking to him anymore.

---

**One of my longer Puppet Strings chapters…but still too short.**

**Oh, and go ahead and ask me what happened to Genesis. I'll just giggle and wink at you.**

**You can go ahead and imagine all sorts of scenarios until I post the next chapter.**

**=3**

**Oh, and my air freshener died. I have to go get another one. Maybe I'll get a different scent this time. =/**

**Mimi, you need to call me more! I seem to have a lot easier of a time updating this fic on days you call me.**


	7. Weakness and Departure

**Hmm…yeah. I had fun with that last chapter. I want to update as much as possible, and I haven't had this much fun since Dirge of Cerberus.**

**Don't worry, though; the mystery of what happened to Genesis is solved right here. =)**

**So um, yeah…**

**Nothing bad enough, in my opinion, to change the rating just yet, but…oh, believe me, it's on its way. No clothing is removed in this chapter. Poor Seph, he's probably about ready to kill me…I'd better hurry up.**

**Warnings: Slight (well, depends on how you tend to use the word "slight") SephGen at beginning of chappie, bit o' CloTi…**

**Recurring patterns I've noticed in this series include Weiss and Genesis carrying each other, and Sephiroth and Cloud stabbing each other. That, and I'm pretty sure the good ol' Buster Sword is cursed. Angeal DIED. Zack DIED. Cloud DIED but then got sent back down.**

**=' Everyone who touches that sword dies at a young age.**

**One more thing—my background on my computer is the screenshot of Cloud in FF Tactics, on the ground clutching his skull and shouting, "The heat! Inside my skull…No, stop…Sephiroth—no!"**

**Do the guys who write the scripts find some amusement in teasing us with the obviousness of this, and then killing us inside by pairing Cloud with Tifa or Aerith??? X'P**

**I'm sorry, guys—I'm not a Clerith shipper…I only like Zerith, and THAT has to be written REALLY FREAKING WELL for me to read it.**

**Holy cow, longest author's note I've ever written, I think…**

---

"Put that down, Genesis," Sephiroth commanded, his every step forward making the auburn-haired man feel smaller and smaller.

His weapon fell from his hand as if he had no choice in the matter. Sephiroth was getting closer and closer, but Genesis couldn't do anything about it. His heart was racing, not only with fear but with a twinge of excitement as well. The emotions in Sephiroth's eyes were even more difficult to read than before, though the vibes Genesis was picking were just intense, not malicious at all, really.

Cerulean eyes widened in shock as Sephiroth moved within arm's reach and gripped his chin with strong fingers beneath black leather.

"Come here," the former General ordered with something that was almost a smile on his face. Shutting his eyes and expecting a cruel, heartless prank meant to deliberately wound him, some sort of tender gesture followed by cruel words, Genesis obeyed against his better judgment and stopped fighting and running, allowing the other man to tilt his head upward as he was pulled forward.

Genesis' eyes opened back up wide when he felt the first feather-light kiss on his cheek, and another followed right at the corner of the mouth, the soft brushes lingering and _gentle_. As he tried to get a look at Sephiroth's eyes, to maybe guess what the man was thinking, he saw that they were closed, the expression relaxed as another kiss was pressed on his lips.

Only a moment later Genesis' thoughts scattered hopelessly as he willingly parted his lips for the gently probing tongue, his eyes slipping shut once more as his legs very nearly gave out beneath him. One strong arm around his waist halted such a thing's happening, Sephiroth's right hand moving to the back of his head, sliding into the coppery strands of hair.

The way Genesis had almost instantly responded had both surprised and pleased Sephiroth…this would be a simple task. However, the tongue swirling and sucking on his own, and the way the other man was leaning against him made tingles race up and down his spine, and his blood to pound in his ears.

Would it be that bad to draw out the encounter?

_Yes, _Sephiroth thought, a bit disappointed, _I need to hurry._

But then Genesis was clutching at the criss-cross straps over his chest, groaning softly as a black-clad thigh pressed between his legs, where his growing desire was evident.

"Sephiroth," Genesis gasped, his head tilting as the silver-haired man's mouth relocated to his neck, a hand pushing the collar down so that his lips and tongue could explore the sensitive, soft skin. His own fingers threaded into the moonspun silk that was Sephiroth's hair, gently massaging his scalp as soft gasps of pleasure forced themselves past his reddened lips. He shuddered hard, trying to pull his thoughts together. Something was wrong about this. "W-wait," he blurted, shutting his eyes even more tightly. He needed to stop this, he needed to be able to defend the world against this man, not give into some twisted game he'd come up with. Too late, however, did this thought cross his mind.

"I'm sorry," Sephiroth whispered, fingers putting pressure on a point on Genesis' neck, rendering the slighter man unconscious and causing him to go limp in his arms. He caught Genesis, holding him in his arms as he took a moment and examined every little detail on his face. Even in his forced state of unconsciousness, Genesis looked distraught and betrayed.

It was that expression which prompted Sephiroth to smooth a gloved hand over that porcelain face in a soothing fashion, wishing his gloves were off so he could feel, but not willing to allow himself the pleasure…Genesis was indeed beautiful. How hadn't he seen it before in this way? Perhaps because Genesis had never expressed a desire for him in an obvious enough way for him to pick up on. But, Genesis was not Sephiroth's to take. He had lost his chance with the Crimson WEAPON long ago.

_Kill him while he's unaware,_ a feminine voice murmured. _Make sure that no one else will ever have him. _Sephiroth shook his head slowly.

No, Genesis would remain unharmed, he decided, as long as _he_ did not harm Cloud. Settling the auburnette onto the grass, Sephiroth pressed one more kiss to the soft lips, the kinder part of himself wishing that he could have made this one happy too. As he straightened and left one of Gaia's WEAPONs in peace, he smiled at Jenova's frustrated.

After all, the alien voice wasn't his mother. Was she? No, he remembered Zack telling him while he was still in the lifestream. He had no reason to listen to her anymore.

---

"Cloud?" Tifa called, having woken up shortly after the blonde had. He seemed to be in a rush to get some of his stuff together, and considering he was bringing the First Tsurugi with him… "Is something wrong?"

Cloud looked at the woman who had grown up with him, giving her a strange look, making her feel as if he was saying goodbye.

"Stay here," he said firmly, "Keep the kids here _with _you—_don't_ leave until I call you." With that he leaned close and pressed his lips to hers, pulling away before she could respond. And he was out the door within moments.

---

Cloud was moving; Sephiroth could sense it. He was coming closer, not directly, but he could feel the mental link created by Jenova cells drawing closer just _ever _so slowly. He smiled a smile that to anyone who couldn't read his thoughts or didn't know who he was would look serene, and perfectly sane, and forced his wing to manifest.

It wouldn't be too much longer now.

---

***ahem***

**So I'm getting less bashful about posting…certain things. *cough***

**Again, wish me luck with this all, and thank you, everyone who reviews. Reviews make me very happy.**


End file.
